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Erling Hoh
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Victor H. Mair
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The True History of Tea Hardcover – March 24, 2009

by Erling Hoh (Author), Victor H. Mair (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
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A lively and beautifully illustrated history of one of the world's favorite beverages and its uses through the ages.

World-renowned sinologist Victor H. Mair teams up with journalist Erling Hoh to tell the story of this remarkable beverage and its uses, from ancient times to the present, from East to West.

For the first time in a popular history of tea, the Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Mongolian annals have been thoroughly consulted and carefully sifted. The resulting narrative takes the reader from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the splendor of the Tang and Song Dynasties, from the tea ceremony politics of medieval Japan to the fabled tea and horse trade of Central Asia and the arrival of the first European vessels in Far Eastern waters.

Through the centuries, tea has inspired artists, enhanced religious experience, played a pivotal role in the emergence of world trade, and triggered cataclysmic events that altered the course of humankind. How did green tea become the national beverage of Morocco? And who was the beautiful Emma Hart, immortalized by George Romney in his painting The Tea-maker of Edgware Road? No other drink has touched the daily lives of so many people in so many different ways.

The True History of Tea brings these disparate aspects together in an entertaining tale that combines solid scholarship with an eye for the quirky, offbeat paths that tea has strayed upon during its long voyage. It celebrates the common heritage of a beverage we have all come to love, and plays a crucial part in the work of dismantling that obsolete dictum: East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. 50 illustrations
Previous page
  1. Print length
    280 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Thames & Hudson
  4. Publication date
    March 24, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.3 x 9.4 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0500251460
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0500251461
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Erling Hoh has been a correspondent for Archaeology and written on Chinese history and culture for Natural History and others.


Victor H. Mair is Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of many books including The True History of Tea and The Tarim Mummies.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thames & Hudson (March 24, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0500251460
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0500251461
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.59 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.3 x 9.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

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  1. Erling Hoh

    Erling Hoh

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  2. Victor H. Mair

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
62 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Holly Gysin
5.0 out of 5 stars It was in good condition!
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023
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Good product!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS TEA HISTORY BOOK!
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2016
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I BOUGHT THIS BOOK BASED SOLELY ON THE RAVE AMAZON REVIEW (APRIL 19, 2014) BY FRANK MURPHY. IF MURPHY IS IMPRESSED, NO NEED TO WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE TO ORDER! HE IS ONE OF THE TOP U.S .EXPERTS ON TEA, AND THE AUTHOR OF TWO EXTRAORDINARY TEA BOOKS, BELOVED JEWELS OF MY LIBRARY: "THE SPIRIT OF TEA" AND "TEA FRIED BRAIN". I HAVE COLLECTED SOME 30-PLUS TEA HISTORY BOOKS OVER THE YEARS OF MY STUDY OF TEA. "THE TRUE HISTORY OF TEA" PUTS MANY OF THEM TO SHAME - WITH ITS ERUDITION, CHARM, COMPREHENSIVENESS AND RELIANCE ON RARE ORIGINAL FOREIGN-LANGUAGE SOURCES. WHETHER YOU ARE NEW TO TEA, OR A SEASONED ENTHUSIAST, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU - ALL ABOUT "THE DRINK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD"...
13 people found this helpful
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Alek Cannan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview of the Long and Interesting History of Tea
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2016
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This is a fantastic book chronicling the history of Tea around the world. The authors take a tour of so many countries and regions around the world where tea has had influence. It is fascinating to read about the origins and long cultural history of Tea in China throughout the ages. And then to follow tea's 'discovery' and 'journey' to faraway lands and peoples in every part of the globe.

The book is thorough with excellent research, but is still very readable. I find it gave me a basis for understanding tea's journey around the world. And a comprehensive starting for further reading on specific topics (should I choose to do so).

Read about tea in China, SE Asia, India, Middle East, Russia, Americas, etc.

I recommend this book!
4 people found this helpful
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Jason O. Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly, But Skip a Bit
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2011
Suppose you had a time machine and could travel back to some of the most significant periods of the development of modern man. More than any other drink that has marched through history with us, you'd find a cup of tea there to witness those defining achievements.

In The True History of Tea, Messrs. Mair and Hoh guide us through the religious, social, economic, and political marks that tea left on human history. Among the shining moments that tea played a role include:

- The Dalai Llama got his title as a result of the exchange of tea and horses established by the Mongols and the Tibetans

- Boiling water for tea (and beer) was likely a leading contributor to public health and sanitation, allowing cities to flourish

- The "tea break" helped recharge the workforce of the Industrial Revolution, enabling workers to maintain their output during +12 hr workdays.

- And of course, who can ignore the role tea played in shaping national identity in China, Japan, India, the UK, Russia, and the US.

If you enjoy tracing tea's fingerprint on human society, this is the book for you. You'll be captivated to learn how tea spread from Buddhist monasteries to affect the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties. And you'll grieve over how the drive for tea contributed to the Opium Wars.

While Mair and Hoh relate fascinating trivia and vignettes on tea's history, you will not find the most captivating narrative. There were times when the flow of history got bogged down with details. Even though growth in demand for tea was significant, minutiae on how Tibetan recipes for yak-butter tea and the number of tea cakes traded for a horse did not need to be covered with such thoroughness as to lose the story's flow.

Overall, The True History of Tea offers a worthwhile read. At the same time, I recall Monty Python & The Holy Grail when the knights consulted the Book of Armaments. Skip a bit, brother.
2 people found this helpful
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Lady Diogenes
5.0 out of 5 stars TEA FOR ALL
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
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The True History of Tea is almost the history of human beings. It is amazing how tea had an impact on civilization, its health -- decreasing cholera because of the water being boiled; its wealth -- fortunes were made and lost, in tea; its drug wars -- opium became a cash cow because the price of tea dropped.

It was a great read as well as a learning experience.
7 people found this helpful
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Erik C. Pihl
5.0 out of 5 stars Tea for everyone!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2011
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Victor Mair, a well known Sinologist, and his co-author, Erling Hoh, a Swedish writer living in Denmark, have done a remarkable job chronicling the history of this drink. They deal with the botany, cultural diffusion, sociology, and history of the areas into which tea was introduced. The book is well illustrated, and is a fascinating read. Well worth adding to one's library. (I don't believe one would have to be a tea affecianado to enjoy this book).
9 people found this helpful
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JW
5.0 out of 5 stars An important scholarly work that's fun to read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2020
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A well researched, highly informative book on history of tea that's also engaging to read! Highly recommended.
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MD
5.0 out of 5 stars In depth book
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2014
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Incredibly in depth, perhaps too much at times. This book starts slow and really picks up as you read further. I learned quite a lot and really enjoyed it. Would highly recommend to anyone that loves tea and wants to know where the worlds seconds most popular drink has come from.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars finely brewed
Reviewed in Australia on June 14, 2023
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An excellent book. I love tea, but to learn so much more behind the important events in history was fantastic. Well written, comprehensive. Thoroughly recommend
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chantal mowvley
5.0 out of 5 stars I have read this book about tea and it is ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2015
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I have read this book about tea and it is a very interesting book to buy to learn about the history of tea.
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Selwyn Redivo
5.0 out of 5 stars If I had to recommend just one book on the history of tea it would be this one.
Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2013
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A lot of the material presented is familiar, as found in other publications here and there, but is covered in a clear, balanced, and more thorough manner. Based on historical documentation instead of romantic legend, it is a very pleasant read.
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raichebumz
4.0 out of 5 stars not read yet
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
so I've not actually read this yet as it's pretty heavy going and Ive a few other tea books to read 1st but it looks quite informative form the off!
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